Auto Sales | featured news

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in October to its lowest point of the year as Americans bought fewer foreign cars and imported less oil. Exports of American-made autos also fell.

U.S. auto sales rose sharply in November as more confident American consumers spent more on the average showroom purchase, extending a recovery trend for the industry to a sixth month.

Chrysler says its U.S. sales jumped 27 percent in October because of strong demand for its Jeep and Chrysler brand vehicles. It was the company's best October sales since 2007.

General Motors Co and Chrysler Group reported September U.S. auto sales gains of at least 20 percent, a sign that consumers have returned as vehicle inventories have risen after being crimped by the March earthquake in Japan.

Ford's market analyst said U.S. auto sales are running at the strongest pace since April as vehicle inventories recover for Toyota and Honda.

General Motors' U.S. sales fell 1.2 percent in May as it offered fewer deals to customers.

Analysts project that sales will increase across the industry, despite worries about rising gasoline prices and production stoppages in Japan.

General Motors' sales in China increased 28.8% in 2010 while U.S. sales rose just 6.3%. GM is one of the best-positioned automakers in emerging markets, even better than Toyota, says one expert. General Motors Co. sold more vehicles in China than it did in the U.S.

When the Tata Nano - known as the world's cheapest car - zipped out of factories in 2009, it was praised as an example of Indian innovation in cost-cutting. It quickly became a cult hit, with its own Facebook travelogue journal and fast-selling counterculture T-shirts.

General Motors Co posted a 7.5 percent rise in December U.S. auto sales and said it expects the industry to report sales at a 13 million-vehicle annualized rate for last month -- far higher than many forecasts and what would be the highest rate of 2010.